Introduction
Refresh your wardrobe with this collection of patterns for all seasons from Burda Style. There are 19 patterns included in this bundle ranging from super easy to average so there’s something for everyone. Each pattern has at least two variations, too, giving you over 40 possible new sewing projects!
Retro and vintage patterns are all the rage, so get in on the trends of yesteryear with these <em>45+ Free Vintage Sewing Patterns</em> to wear, decorate your home with, or give as gifts. If you love simple retro patterns from past eras, this collection is going to be a must-see.<br /> <br /> First, make yourself a new wardrobe that hearkens back to simpler times with. Free sewing patterns Looking for a couture idea? Discover our free sewing patterns! Patterns - BurdaStyle Sewing Vintage Modern.
For many, the Burda sewing patterns are relatively new on the scene. However, the Burda name has been around for an entire century. What is now known as Hubert Burda Media began when Franz Burda started a publishing enterprise in Baden, Germany before the First World War.
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His daughter-in-law, Aenne, was known as ‘Germany’s secret fashion queen,’ and it was she who spearheaded the creation of Burda’s fashion magazine empire, and built it into the largest in the world.
Today, Aenne’s classic fashion magazine, Burda Moden, is available in 90 countries worldwide and is published in 28 languages.
The Evolution of the Burda Sewing Pattern
Burda Sewing Patterns
I discovered Burda Style, a fashion magazine that had pattern sheets tucked inside, on a downtown New York newsstand in the early 1990s. The fashions were cutting edge, nothing at all like the patterns available in the fabric stores or catalogs I was accustomed to.
Burda Style, a fashion magazine
The patterns, however, were a challenge. All measurements were metric, forcing me to go back to my old school books to convert my familiar inches to centimeters.
The next challenge was to determine which pattern line was the right one for me. Rather than clearly identified patterns and markings, each folded newsprint sheet in my Burda magazine had at least six patterns superimposed on each other.
They were identified by multi colored straight, squiggly and dotted lines. The key was to determine the line shape and color for the pattern matching the photographed item I selected.
A typical Burda sewing patternMy next step was to pull out the tracing paper and pencil and trace the pattern. These pattern pieces did not include seam allowances. Therefore, if I neglected to add seam allowances before cutting, my finished item was too small.
Thankfully, I never forgot this very important detail. I traced the pattern pieces and immediately added seam allowances before going any farther. This eliminated a lot of headaches and grief. My biggest fear was that I would do all this work and then end up with a pattern that yielded a garment that was ill fitting.
The good news is of all the Burda clothes I made using these ‘spaghetti’ patterns, only one pair of slacks came out too tight… and once I made that one adjustment to accommodate my body dimensions, all of the garments that I made using Burda ‘spaghetti’ patterns were absolutely perfect fits.
Burdastyle Free Sewing Patterns For Beginners
Thankfully, the people at Burda realized that many of their customers were challenged by these intricate patterns and the many steps required to use them, and they started publishing patterns more in line with the patterns the home sewer had become familiar with.
Burda Sewing Patterns Today
As time went on and use of the internet increased, Burda expanded its online presence to include downloadable patterns along with their traditional patterns for sale. These patterns are drafted and authenticated by Burda staff, assuring the quality and accuracy that Burda is known for.
In addition, visitors to the Burda website, have an opportunity to join the Burda community. As members, home sewing enthusiasts can share tips, ideas and even their own creations in the form of downloadable patterns.
Free designs and patterns from websiteMany of the downloadable patterns on the Burda Style website are free of charge. Most of the free patterns are submitted by members and tested by Burda staff to verify proportions, and fit.
I have downloaded a few of these patterns, and found them to be much easier to work with than the Burda patterns I purchased inside the magazines back in the 1990s. With the downloadable patterns, you get only one pattern that must be adjusted to fit your particular size.
The designs for the free patterns offered by Burda are for the most part simple, easy to understand and easy to follow. The proportions are good and the instructions clear, concise and easy to follow.
My experience with Burda’s downloadable patterns has been that whether I used a pattern drafted by Burda staff or one of the free downloadable patterns from members, the results have been excellent. My only challenge has been to put the larger pattern pieces together.
The pattern pieces are designed to be printed on an 8 ½ x 11 sheet of paper. When printing a pattern for a dress, skirt or pair of pants, the pattern pieces come out of the printer and must then be pieced together like a puzzle.
My finished Burda’s patternI found that patterns are easier to use and keep if I first tape them together, make all of the necessary adjustments to assure proper fit, then trace each pattern piece onto tracing paper. My finished patterns are then stored in individual 9 x 5 envelopes with either a written description or photograph on the front.
No doubt, this is a lot of work when it is still possible to purchase excellent patterns online and at local fabric stores. I do not recommend Burda patterns for the novice. Nor do I recommend them for the impatient.
If, on the other hand, you have the time and patience to go through all the steps described above, you will be quite pleased with the end results. I look at working with Burda patterns much the same way I approach working with a Vogue Couture pattern.
You know before you start that it will take a little more time to get the job done, but it is well worth the additional time, extra effort and increased energy because of the superior quality of the finished garment.
Although the website clearly states that Burda patterns are suitable for beginners, I hesitate to recommend their use by any one below the advanced or expert skill level.
All of the measuring, adjusting, tracing and putting pattern pieces together can be intimidating and even frustrating for someone who is still trying to learn the basic skills of properly pinning a pattern to fabric, cutting and assembling a simple garment.
Even a home sewer who has mastered all of the basics, but is still perfecting their skills could be easily frustrated by all of the preliminary steps they must take before even pinning the pattern to the fabric.
When I started tracing Burda patterns, my sewing buddies told me they think I’m a little bit crazy for doing all that is required to get a Burda traceable pattern to the sewing machine. Perhaps they’re right.
I happen to enjoy the challenge. Besides, once the patterns are finished, I use them repeatedly, especially my customized Burda patterns for skirts and slacks.